The only way I know to get over a fear is to face it. Mine was riding my bike in the pouring rain, so I made it a personal mission to get out the door and ride through the discomfort anyway.

It was not easy. My hands were unbearably cold, and my stomach would turn every time I walked out the door. I rode every time it rained, and I even made it harder on purpose by wearing jeans and letting myself be miserable.

After about two months of riding in every storm, I started to embrace it and figure out how to handle it. I still don’t prefer riding in the rain, not even close, but it doesn’t make me uncomfortable anymore. I know that even in a cold rain I can warm up by pedaling harder and keeping my focus on the ride instead of on how I feel.

Now that I ride with proper rain gear, it feels easy and doesn’t faze me at all. Pushing through something uncomfortable on purpose made everything after it feel a lot more manageable.